


and seal it with a kiss

by botticellis (itomorian)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (and they were roommates!), (oh my god they were roommates!), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Dorks in Love, Flowers, Headbands, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Soft Boys, Talking, Television Watching, editor mark, haechan is also whipped whipped, just mark (& by extension me) waxing poetic about donghyuck, kindergarten teacher donghyuck, mark is w h i p p e d whipped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24182179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itomorian/pseuds/botticellis
Summary: Mark thinks that this is one moment he would preserve forever in his memory if he could.He thinks that he could live this way if it were so possible.Just the two of them like this.Donghyuck sprawled on the pink sofa in his sweats. Mark in his office clothes half bent over him with one knee digging on the sofa cushion. Donghyuck's cool, soft fingertips resting on the back of Mark's, Violets encased within their hands. his lips soft against his cheek. Between them, the smell of cheese, and a faint wisp of Donghyuck's body-wash.~//title from the look of love by nina simone~
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 104





	and seal it with a kiss

**Author's Note:**

> haechan flower crown, mark bumblebee headband. that's it that's the fic.
> 
> ok no lmao i just,, haven't written,, any markhyuck in the past year,, and i was itching to,,,,, but didn't know what to write and then bam! this spoilers night happened and i started writing this,, and then i saw all the kissing fanart that made the rounds on twt,,, and it was like a sign from the universe,,,, 😔✨😔✨😔
> 
> n o t e!! this is also based (just a tiiiiny bit) on a dream i had a while ago, as well as [this tweet](https://twitter.com/SANWlO/status/1260656154276884481?s=19). and i got the flower meanings from [here](https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g2503/surprising-flower-meanings/) uwu. 💐✨
> 
> this is unbeta-ed, so there will be mistakes/errors. pls forgive those as i will correct them as i spot them. 😔👉👈
> 
> i hope u enjoy reading this uwu 💖
> 
> cw // food, talking about dying

For Mark, the answer will always be Donghyuck. 

That is as clear as the sky on a spring morning.

Well, it's not like Mark is _not_ obvious with it, because he is. Sometimes it's on purpose, but mostly, it's because of how affected he is by the younger. He'd like to think that it's because Donghyuck has that effect on everyone. 

(Have you _met_ Donghyuck? How could you _not_ be affected by how absolutely lovely he is?)

Donghyuck is ... beyond words. To Mark he is the embodiment of a good life. Of fulfilment. Donghyuck is happiness, he is melancholy. He is contentment, he is luxury. 

A luxury the like of Ambrosia, granting immortality to the Gods. But Mark is no Olympian bending the mortal world to his will, and yet Donghyuck offers him so much more than longevity. 

Donghyuck is ordinary, and that adds so much more to his frankly unfathomable beauty. To be so, _so_ human with a heart _that_ big and _that_ pure is a feat Mark hasn't seen many accomplish. Never so with such effortless grace as Donghyuck's.

Living with Donghyuck for as long as he has, being his best friend for as long as he has, having feelings for him as long he has, Mark finds it hard to imagine a world where he's not by Donghyuck's side.

Any world where they do not end up side by side.

He realises halfway through unlocking the door that he does not need to imagine that. For there is no world where he and Donghyuck won't be pulled together and bound to each other. Knows he will always seek Donghyuck out. Knows Donghyuck will always find him and let him in.

The lock gives with a click. He looks at the Violets in his hand again before opening the door.

"Welcome home, Papa-Bear." Donghyuck giggles from their strawberry sofa, smiling in that soft way he does that sets Mark's heart ablaze. 

He seems to be watching a Disney film while munching on homemade cheese popcorn, and Mark's stomach wakes when he takes a deep whiff of his vicinity, senses bombarded with the smell of it. He walks to Donghyuck to hand him the Violets, and watches as the younger's face lights up with the glow of the sun shining bright.

"I'm home," says Mark as he smiles at Donghyuck, wondering if he looks as full of love as he feels right now. Donghyuck laughs, wind chimes in the air, and palms Mark's cheek before pressing a kiss to the other.

Mark thinks that this is one moment he would preserve forever in his memory if he could. 

He thinks that he could live this way if it were so possible. 

Just the two of them like this. 

Donghyuck sprawled on the pink sofa in his sweats. Mark in his office clothes half bent over him with one knee digging on the sofa cushion. Donghyuck's cool, soft fingertips resting on the back of Mark's, Violets encased within their hands. his lips soft against his cheek. Between them, the smell of cheese, and a faint wisp of Donghyuck's body-wash.

Mark pulls away, looks at Donghyuck. Just… looks. Somewhere in between he sighs, all smitten and lovesick. Maybe Donghyuck hears it. Maybe he does not. He is busy returning Mark's gaze with his own, a thousandfold softer. A thumb rubs over his knuckles.

"Sorry they're a little wilted, I bought them in the morning." Mark whispers, shy and sheepish. Donghyuck's lips curve up.

"Couldn't wait to see me?" He teases, so playful, Mark's heart skips a tiny beat. He wonders if he should ruin this moment or tell him the truth. Wonders if that would ruin this anyway. Donghyuck's eyes crinkle.

"I never can." Mark tells him the truth instead of dismissing the teasing with a playful jab of his own. Donghyuck's eyes shine in the glow from the TV. Mark's heart swims in the overflow of affection. 

"Neither can I." Donghyuck murmurs, his smile softer now. Mark scrunches his nose. Donghyuck chuckles. 

"Go wash up, stinky." He smacks Mark's hand where his touches it.

Mark shakes his head, _fond, fond, fond_ , and walks towards his room.

After a shower that honestly makes him feel like all his sins just washed away with the cool water, Mark puts on a pair of sweats and walks out into the living area, and finds Donghyuck waiting for him on their strawberry sofa.

He stops. Backtracks. Walks into the room he came out of. Inside his office bag is a carefully packaged little gift for Donghyuck, and he grabs that before walking out again.

"That was quite the trip you took, Papa-Bear." Donghyuck side-eyes him, grinning. Takes a sip of his strawberry lemonade.

Mark flushes the way he does every time that Donghyuck calls him Papa-Bear, because holy shit if that isn't fucking domestic—and please tell him how is he supposed to function when the love of his life calls him something like that?

Mark wills his blush to leave, his face heated with the rush of blood.

"Went back to get something I almost forgot." Mark mumbles, fingers trembling around the package. Donghyuck eyes him curiously, along with the parcel in his hands.

"Well?" He asks, imploring and interested. Leaning into Mark's space. He's close enough for Mark to kiss his cute nose, but Mark thinks the matter at hand is more important. (At a later moment in life, he'll laugh about the 'at hand' pun.)

"Open this, bub." He places the wrapping in Donghyuck's hand. Donghyuck shoots him another curious glance before he gets to work. Mark gulps in anticipation.

While this is not the first time ever that Mark has gifted Donghyuck flowers, this _is_ the first time that he'll gift him a flower crown. The wrapping is undone, inside lay the flowers in white.

"White Jasmines and Yarrow." _White Jasmines mean sweet love, and Yarrow signifies love,_ he recalls the florist telling him. The lady has helped Mark ever since the first time he wanted to give Donghyuck flowers, so the two of them have a special bond.

 _Do you think it's a bit too direct?_ Mark remembers asking her, a tiny part doubtful, but rest all delighted and excited.

 _You started when I was fifty, and I'm sixty-five now._ She'd deadpanned. _Fifteen years later_ **_you better be too direct_** _, young man._

"Put this on me?" Donghyuck's voice lulls him out of his thoughts, a warm honeyed wave.

Mark looks at him, his hands, the flower crown. He swallows, takes it from his hands and puts it on Donghyuck's head, over his soft, fluffy tuft of hair. Once he's sure that it won't fall, he pats the tresses down, just to find an excuse to keep touching the younger somehow.

He looks beautiful. But that's a given because this is Donghyuck. He could be lathered in mud and would still look like the epitome of beauty because that is who he is. Mark looks at his face, his doe eyes, his moles, his nose, his lips. 

His heart warms.

Donghyuck catches him staring in awe, and winks cutely. Mark laughs.

"This must be destiny because guess what?" asks Donghyuck, taking a quick look at himself in his phone camera. Mark makes a questioning noise.

Donghyuck sighs, and keeps his phone away. Turns to look at Mark. Mark raises an eyebrow.

"'Cause Papa-Bear, I got you something too." Donghyuck smirks. Mark must look confused because the younger rolls his eyes and flicks him on the forehead.

"Keep your eyes closed." He says and Mark obeys, closing his eyes shut. In the darkness that's only comforted by the white noise of the TV in the background, Mark hears something like the rustling of paper. Gift wrap.

And then he feels Donghyuck put something on his head. A headband. Mark moves his head and feels something move along with him.

"Okay, open them now." He hears Donghyuck murmurs between giggles. He looks absolutely proud of himself. 

"Look, look." He eggs him on, and Mark would be concerned if this was anyone else, but it's Donghyuck. And with him, nothing will ever truly be bad.

Mark takes his phone out of his pocket and unlocks it before opening the camera. On his head is a bumblebee headband with big, striped baubles on black antennae, and honestly, it's pretty cute. He doesn't really know why Donghyuck would get him a bee headband of all things, but he's happy for the gift anyway.

"Thank you." He says, genuinely giddy and his nose scrunches involuntarily. Donghyuck blinks at him, his eyes smiling.

"You buy me flowers all the time, so I got you something bee related." He looks embarrassed. "It made more sense in my head." He chuckles shyly.

"I love it, thank you darling." The pet name slips before Mark can think it through, but the gorgeous blush on Donghyuck's face makes the slip-up worth it. Maybe he'll call him darling from now on if that means that the God will blush like this.

"Well, I'm glad you do, you sap." Donghyuck turns away to face the TV. "Quiet down now, we're watching Tangled." Donghyuck's teacher voice seeps in just a little bit, and Mark really thinks that this is what they talk about in books and films. Magic.

They watch the film in a relative quiet, except for some excited noises here and there coming from the two of them when a favourite scene comes up. Or the singing they do when any of the songs begin. They sing along to _I See The Light_ as they always do, and by the time that the movie finishes and Donghyuck is fully nestled into his side, Mark is feeling brave.

"How was work?" Donghyuck looks at him from where his head rests on the crook of Mark's neck. His breath tickles Mark on its way out, and Mark feigns scratching his nose in an attempt to hide his flushed face.

"Same old, but never not fun." He answers, snickering, thinking back to earlier in the day when he sat next to popular children's writer Na Jaemin sobbing his eyes out about an approaching deadline while eating directly from a tub of some God-only-knows flavour of ice-cream despite being lactose intolerant.

 _Maybe I'll die and then you won't remind me about my work commitments._ Jaemin had wailed.

 _I'll drag you out of hell if I have to, as long as it means that you'll finish this novel on time._ Mark had patiently reminded him.

"How was yours, bub?" He asks and immediately Donghyuck's eyes light up.

"Koeun called me dad accidentally, and she was so embarrassed it was adorable. And today was a finger-painting day!" He gushes and then proceeds to show Mark the photos he took of his students' artwork. 

Mark watches attentively because the tiny fingerprints and hand-prints are so, so precious. And the fact that those barely five year old babies made peacocks and trees and butterflies with their tiny colour-dipped fingers just gives Mark baby fever.

"Ah, I want a child so bad." He bemoans, and Donghyuck looks at him incredulously for a couple of moments before laughing.

"Of course you do, you big baby." He pats Mark's cheek, hiccuping out tiny laughs. Mark pouts up at him. Donghyuck sticks his tongue out.

"No, don't tease me. Children are so precious and it would be really nice to have one of ours." _One of ours._ Oh. _Oh._ Mark wonders if that was a slip of tongue or if he really did say it consciously. He sees Donghyuck frozen in front of him, and sees him gulp.

"Ours, huh?" says Donghyuck after some long moments of silence. Mark almost thinks that he has fucked up, _almost_ , but he figures that this will be the moment of truth, anyway.

"Well…" Donghyuck trails off, giving Mark just a little bit of heart failure. "Papa-Bear, you gotta marry me first." He giggles and moves to kiss Mark's cheek.

Too bad that Mark is a little stunned by his words so he moves closer to ask him to repeat what he said, and Donghyuck's lips touch his instead. 

Donghyuck gasps and moves back immediately, fingers covering his mouth. His eyes are comically wide, and Mark would find this funny if it wasn't for the staccato beating of his heart right now. 

He swallows once again, thinks _fuck it_ , and goes for it.

"Darling, may I kiss you?" The fingertips of Donghyuck's free hand are in between Mark's. His eyes search Mark's for what Mark doesn't know, but he tries his best to convey his feelings through his gaze, anyway.

Some moments pass.

Donghyuck murmurs _yes_.

Mark moves closer to him, runs his fingers on the length of his arm before they settle on the side of his neck. His other hand settles on Donghyuck's jaw, thumb running across his beautiful lips.

"Are you sure?" He asks, one more time. He'll leave if Donghyuck isn't definite in what he wants, because what is the point otherwise?

"Yes. _Yes_. Kiss me." Donghyuck almost prays, eager and earnest, and who is Mark to deny a God what he so desires?

Mark gives into him. 

The first brush of their lips is soft, and tastes like cherry chapstick. Mark loves it. He pulls away from the peck for a second to just breathe and process that this is really happening, when Donghyuck captures his lips, again.

They kiss like they have all the time in the world, and perhaps they do. Mark sucks and nips on Donghyuck's bottom lip before Donghyuck smiles and changes their positions to kiss him better. Mark vaguely registers the younger crawling into his lap and on top of him.

He sighs when he feels the comforting warmth of a lap full of the love of his life. The love of his life that he happens to be kissing right now. Donghyuck's tongue swipes the underside of his top lip softly, and it tickles Mark into opening his mouth to titter.

Donghyuck giggles into Mark's mouth and maybe Mark will never know how to ever love someone so much. He sucks on Donghyuck's tongue which makes the younger make a soft, keening noise at the back of his throat, and Mark thinks no sound will ever be sweeter.

The inside of Donghyuck's pretty mouth tastes like cheese popcorn and strawberry lemonade, he discovers delightfully as both of them lick into each other's mouths. 

Mark pulls away and kisses him again, pecking his mouth with long kisses and quick nips and _fuck_ if _this_ what forever tastes like— _cheesy_ and _sweet_ and _sour_ —then Mark wants it right here and he wants it right now. 

On this strawberry sofa, in his lap, wearing a flower crown, and tasting like home. 

If only Donghyuck will have and let him.

Donghyuck breaks away from the kiss, giggling when Mark chases after his mouth. He thumbs Mark's kiss-swollen and spit-slick lips, and his eyes shimmer in the low light.

"I hope it's obvious that I'm very much in love with you." Donghyuck smiles, confident, familiar, so sure of himself. Mark nods, and nods, and nods. He loves, and loves, and loves him.

"I've been in love with you for a very long time." He murmurs, dazed and so, so in love. His heart feels full, his brain is mush. His hands on Donghyuck's waist are the only things tethering him to reality and the mortal plane.

"Good. Welcome to the club of loving your best friend for the last fifteen years of your life." Mark closes his eyes, allows this to wash over him. Donghyuck's fingers are playing with his hair while Mark's run up and down his back, a loving, soothing gesture.

If he were to die right now, Mark thinks _, it would be a life worthwhile_. But he doesn't want to, of course, because he wants this love to be fulfilled—to the ends of the universe and back.

 _God, please give me a long life so I can love Donghyuck for the whole of it._ He prays, his eyes not leaving Donghyuck's–for even a bit. Donghyuck leans down and kisses his nose. Mark smiles and hugs him close.

"For me, it's you. It's always you."

~

Years down the line he visits a jewellery store. It's owned by Johnny, an old and cherished friend from university. Mark shares a good friendship with him that started off with them bonding over as people away from home.

"So, who's the lucky one?" asks Johnny excited, eyes glinting and pouty mouth stretched in a big, happy smile as Mark peruses through the collection of wedding rings.

(And for Mark, the answer will always be Donghyuck.)

**Author's Note:**

> some headcanons 🌙💕✨:  
> 1\. markhyuck have known each other since they were teenagers, went to the same uni, and were roommates. they rented this flat first, and bought it once they'd earned enough after they started working.  
> 2\. they're in their late twenties in this fic.  
> 3\. dh calls him papa-bear because years ago they had a pet dog together.  
> 4\. yes, which means mark alternates between calling him darling and daddy-bear.  
> 5\. years later markhyuck do marry each other, and some more later they adopt a child and name him jisung.  
> 6\. bye i'm soft and sad.
> 
> 💐🌿✨🌿💐
> 
> my moons, i love u and i hope u're well. stay safe and take care of yourselves. 💕
> 
> thank you so much for reading!! 💖💖
> 
> ~ min ☺💘
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/glitteryongs) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/glitteryongs)


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